Beast from the East: Bankies step up in storm and help each other

Up to 20cm of snow was forecast but strong winds built drifts up to waist height.

In Parkhall, drivers had to dig to rediscover vehicles, buried in just hours, while the emergency services had advised against any travel.

Parents in Faifley, left to their own devices for days, dug out Edinbarnet Primary and St Joseph’s Primary on Sunday ahead of returning to classes on Monday.

In Old Kilpatrick, Mark, David, Gillian and Declan, Brian, Shona, Steven, Aleth, Joe, Jim, Lorraine and many more cleared Admiralty Grove while council vehicles focused on main arteries.

On Quarryknowe Street in Faifley, neighbours joined together to spend an hour clearing a path to access the main road so a patient transport ambulance could take a resident to her regular dialysis treatment at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

“The ambulance was able to drive in and reverse out.

“If it was not for the neighbours, I don’t know how they would have got out,” said one neighbour.

Claire Gallagher, Faifley Community Council chairwoman, who manages Turning Point homeless services in Glasgow, said three staff instead of their normal 14 worked 30 hours non-stop. She praised the amazing community spirit and colleagues who kept residents updated through the storm.

George Barr, janitor at St Ninian’s Primary in Knightswood, was one of many to come in for praise for keeping paths clear every morning just in case pupils returned.

“Let’s hear it for this guy,” tweeted the school.

Andy Hillan put his Ecosse Wildlife Management business on hold Friday and made 10 journeys from Old Kilpatrick, Faifley, Drumry, Clydebank and Knightswood, ferrying 15 people where they needed to go in his 4x4.

The 42-year-old Drumchapel resident said: “I started at 6am to pick up various nurses, care workers etc to drop off at QEUH and Gartnavel. At one point we even had a vet nurse on board.

“One of our last trips was to pick up an elderly lady in Knightswood. Her family had messaged me to ask if I could get her to QEUH as she was stranded and needed to get dialysis treatment urgently.

“Her family were snowed in and no ambulances were able to get to her. I managed to get into her street and and dig her out. She was really grateful and I received several messages of thanks and gratitude from her family. It was a long day but I was happy to help.”

In Dalmuir, Councillor Danny Lennie admitted he too needed help when he got stuck.

“I would like to thank the guys who helped me Friday morning after I got stupidly stuck in the car park at Livingstone Street,” he said.

“A special thanks to the young lady who had a shovel and cleared the packed snow around and under my car.

“It has been a very tough time weather wise for everyone, but the way communities all across Clydebank have pulled together to help one another has been fantastic.”

In Anniesland, a surgeon set off on a eight-mile trek on Thursday to Paisley so they could carry out a procedure.

The woman’s colleague, colorectal surgeon Andy Renwick, told BBC Radio Scotland: “She walked from Anniesland to Paisley – it took her two hours and 50 minutes. I saw her come in, she had snow goggles on, Gortexed up, top and bottom, snow shoes and walking poles. 

“She is operating on someone who has bowel cancer, she knew that had to be done and so she has made extra effort to get in here to make sure that was actually delivered.”

A number of residents throughout Clydebank and north-west Glasgow with 4x4s chipped in to get care workers or NHS staff where they needed to go.

An ambulance driver was spotted carrying a patient on a stretcher down Shelley Drive in Parkhall when the ambulance couldn’t get up the hill.

Youngsters went around Yoker with bread and milk on Friday for anyone in need, while others queued various stores for remaining loaves and cartons.

Councillor Gail Casey said: “Community spirit always rises to the occasion when it has to, and this has been evidenced this week, with people delivering bread and milk to neighbours they don’t know – ‘the kindness of strangers’ as one constituent put it. 

“It’s so very good to see in these modern times. Great praise also to our home carers and other staff who have gone the extra mile to help protect the elderly and infirm during the whiteout of the past few days.”

In Parkhall, a grey tabby kitten named Oscar in his red collar disappeared just as the snow started to get heavy, and then returned to his grateful owner Nicole Shah around 10pm on Thursday.

Nicole said: “He’s still only a kitten so hasn’t experienced much of the snow but when it snowed lightly in January he wasn’t very keen on it.

“We went round all the houses in our street on the Thursday and everyone was so helpful.

“Some were out checking their gardens, digging around in their sheds and decking to make sure he wasn’t trapped and others let us go round their gardens to check.”

She admitted to being hysterical when Oscar returned: “I was really upset – I honestly didn’t think he was coming home. I thought he had been hurt or trapped.”

By Sunday, First Glasgow continued to cut some routes short, such as the number 2 stopping before Faifley Road. The number 16 was “unable to access to Drumchapel”.

Other routes were unable to get on Kirkoswald Drive or Drumry Road East, while the X4 didn’t serve Knightswood.

Councillor Michael Cullen praised the NHS, Cordia, social workers, the health and social care partnership and all emergency services as “real heroes”.

He said: “These difficult conditions have shown that when we need it most as a community we come together, people helping cars who have been stuck, checking on neighbours and going to the shops for them, clearing walkways etc.

“The people of Garscadden/Scotstounhill are truly amazing thank you to each and every person who has pulled together as a community we definitely are stronger.”

While Scotland’s first ever “red weather alert” has come and gone, it may yet have to brace for it again.

Councillor Lawrence O’Neill added: “As climate change continues, this is not the last time we’re going to see something like this.”

At least the area knows how residents step up when tested.